Protesters stand on the steps of the Providence Place Mall as a part of the March to End Police Brutality. Photo by Sam Wroblewski WPRO News
By Sam Wroblewski 630wpro.com
Traffic came to a standstill outside the Providence Place Mall Friday evening as demonstrators took the steps of the mall during the fourth protest in two weeks.
Demonstrators marched from Central High into downtown Providence to protest the recent grand jury decisions in Missouri and New York both of which did not indict police officers named in the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner; both African American men.
Protesters marched down Washington Street into the heart of downtown Providence where they lay down at the intersection just in front of the Providence Place Mall. Several minutes later a handful of members of protesters attempted to get inside the mall but were turned away by police. They eventually took to the steps of the mall staring down police while chanting and holding signs.
Car horns honked in both support and frustration as traffic was halted in all directions for over 15 minutes. Some drivers complained about the wait times while others like Justine Cennamo watched silently in support.
“I think it’s great I don’t see the big deal, I don’t think people should make a big fuss about [protesters] holding up their work or their shopping; [the protest] is so much more important,” said Cennamo.
The crowd eventually made its way back to Central High and slowly ended.
Juan Santoyo said the energy of the protest was great throughout and that it was reassuring to see so many people join the cause.
“It’s good to see so many people come together and kind of slow the city down to make sure there is this collective witnessing of what’s happening; because it’s so easy to ignore what’s happening,” said Santoyo.
As with the protests before, Providence police escorted the protests throughout the evening to ensure the safety of all the participants.
